Solid state lasers of the electron injection type using GaAs, Ga.sub.1.sub.-x Al.sub.x As and GaAs.sub.x P.sub.1.sub.-x have been available for a number of years and have been considered as possible transmitters of communication and data signals for line of sight usage. They are particularly useful in digital communication systems operating at high bit rates. The bit rate is limited, however, by the duty capabilities of the lasers which, in turn, are limited by the time of rise and fall that can be obtained from nanosecond pulse modulators at the low voltage, high current requirements of the lasers. Consideration has been given to utilizing electron beam bombarded semiconductors as part of the pulse modulator to generate the high currents at low impedances required to control the laser with fast rise times. However, electron beam bombarded semiconductor devices are difficult to utilize with a laser in that it is difficult to provide a low inductance, low line impedance connection from the output of the electron beam bombarded semiconductor pulse modulator to the laser diode. The diode lead out of the vacuum envelope of the electron beam bombarded semiconductor device together with the laser diode leads and the effective inductance of the annular bus in such a system limits the rise times achievable. The thermionic cathode in the vacuum envelope of the device also leads to problems. If the pulse modulator laser combination is used in a voice or data communications system and voice or data activated transmission is desired, it is necessary that the thermionic cathode remain on 100% of the time that the transmitter could be in operation. This leads to reduced lifetime and wasted power and prevents practical usage of the device since, in voice or data activated systems, it is necessary for the transmitter to be ready to be turned on all of the time. Thus, a solid state system would be desirable. However, since solid state cannot achieve the pulse modulation requirement needed, the alternative is to use a combination pulse modulator-laser device.